Call us ‘rubber-stamped’ N’Assembly all you want, we’re happy working with the executive —Lawan

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has said that the National Assembly would not mind if the price to pay for having a cordial relationship with the executive arm was being branded rubber-stamped lawmakers.

Lawan spoke at a two-day joint executive-legislative retreat in Abuja on Monday.

The event is meant to promote harmonious working relationship between the two arms of government,

Applauding the cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government, Lawan said:

“In fact, this relationship is misunderstood by many. Some out of mischief describe the National Assembly as rubber-stamped, some out of misunderstanding.

“For us, what is utmost in our minds in the ninth Assembly is how do we work with the executive to make Nigeria better.

“If the price to pay is the names that we get, then let it be. Because, we believe that Nigerians deserve better service, better infrastructure and it is difficult if not impossible to achieve meaningful development in this country or any democracy without understanding and harmony in the way and manner the two arms of government work.

“So far, we have been doing this for over 12 months. So, it’s time to review this partnership and see the weaknesses in the relationship and the areas we have achieved so much and say this relationship has worked and have achieved some level of improved service delivery.’’

Noting that the retreat would present opportunities for the two arms to review and strengthen areas of their weaknesses, Lawan said the next two days would allow the two arms of government opportunity to talk to each other in “a frank and truthful manner because what we do here will impact significantly on the polity, governance, and Nigerians deserve to have what we promised them.”

Also speaking, the House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the both arms needed to work symbiotically to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

He added, “This two-day engagement will do nothing but to strengthen the relationship between these two critical arms of government and enhance it so that the people will be the better for it.

“I believe it will be frank, truthful, we will speak truth to each other and I believe the outcome will be to the benefit of all Nigerians.”